Sweet Pear Drink (Baengcheong) – Deliciously Refreshing
Homemade Pear ‘Sikhye’ with Pear Syrup: The Quick, Easy, and Delicious Natural Digestive Aid
Discover the secret to making a delightful homemade pear ‘sikhye’, a natural digestive aid, quickly and easily using our special pear syrup (baengcheong). This recipe guarantees a delicious and refreshing beverage that’s perfect for aiding digestion. We hope our cooking video guides you to a perfect batch of pear sikhye!
Ingredients for Pear Sikhye- 300g malted barley powder
- 700g non-glutinous rice
- 500ml pear syrup (baengcheong) or juice from 2 fresh pears
- 5L water
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
① Prepare the Rice and Malted Barley Water: First, cook the non-glutinous rice as you normally would. While the rice is cooking (or soaking for about 30 minutes to an hour), prepare the malted barley water. Place 300g of malted barley powder into a cheesecloth bag or a thin cotton cloth. Add 2L of water and knead it thoroughly with your hands. This process helps extract a fine, milky liquid. Once extracted, rinse the cloth and add another 2L of water to the remaining malted barley, kneading again to extract as much flavor as possible. You should have a total of 4L of malted barley water. Let the mixture settle for about 2 hours so the sediment sinks to the bottom. We will only use the clear liquid from the top to ensure a clean-tasting sikhye.
Step 2
② Combine Rice, Malted Barley Water, and Pear Syrup: Once the malted barley water has settled, carefully ladle out 3L of the clear liquid and gently mix it with the cooked rice. Be careful not to mash the rice grains. Discard the remaining 1L of sediment. To sweeten the sikhye naturally and speed up the fermentation, add 125ml (half a beer mug) of pear syrup (baengcheong) instead of sugar. Using pear syrup significantly reduces the fermentation time to just 4 hours, compared to the usual 8 hours. If you don’t have pear syrup, you can use the juice from 2 blended fresh pears and add 2 tablespoons of sugar to help the fermentation process.
Step 3
③ Ferment and Prepare Rice Grains: After 4 hours, check if the sikhye has fermented well. If it has, add 2L of fresh water to the mixture and stir gently, as it might be quite concentrated. Then, add the remaining 375ml (one and a half beer mugs) of pear syrup and pour the entire mixture into a pot to boil. Before boiling, it’s a good idea to reserve some of the cooked rice grains. Rinse them in cold water and store them in the refrigerator. These reserved rice grains can be added later when serving for a beautiful presentation and a pleasant texture. Bring the sikhye to a rolling boil over high heat.
Step 4
④ Finish and Serve the Sikhye: As the sikhye with pear syrup boils, foam will rise to the surface. Skim off all the foam to achieve a clear and clean taste. Once it reaches a rolling boil, don’t turn off the heat immediately. Let it simmer for another 10 minutes to develop a richer flavor. Allow the sikhye to cool for about 30 minutes to an hour. It’s best served chilled, so refrigerate it after cooling. Taste and adjust sweetness with additional sugar or syrup if needed. This pear sikhye is excellent as a natural digestive aid, especially after meals. The reserved rice grains can be added to individual servings for visual appeal. For an extra touch of elegance, garnish with thinly sliced dates shaped like flowers. Enjoy your homemade pear sikhye made with pear syrup! Thank you for watching. Please consider subscribing, liking, and hitting the notification bell – it truly supports our channel!
